'Horns-Hogs reunion hype starts

Posted: Tuesday, December 07, 1999

The Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) - Although the Cotton Bowl is no longer the game it was during the Southwest Conference's heyday, the nostalgic pairing of No. 14 Texas and No. 24 Arkansas will revive much of its tradition and history.

"It's a wish come true to go back to the Cotton Bowl and to renew a rivalry that was intense for decades," said Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles, who as the Hogs' football coach had many classic matchups against Texas' Darrell Royal.

"Razorback fans will be there in full force. I'd tell the merchants to fill the shelves. We're coming down with a lot of money and we're going to spend it too."

The former SWC rivals forever linked by the 1969 "Big Shootout" haven't met since a 14-13 Arkansas victory in 1991. The Razorbacks bolted for the Southeastern Conference the following season, ending the series after 60 straight years and 73 overall meetings dating to 1894.

Excitement for the reunion already is high. Each school has been given 21,000 tickets, leaving game officials with only about 200.

"As soon as this game began to formalize a week ago, both schools contacted us and wanted as many tickets as they could possibly get," said Rick Baker, the Cotton Bowl president and executive director. "We split what we had left in the middle and gave it to both schools."

Texas (9-4) missed a chance to play in the Fiesta Bowl by losing 22-6 to No. 3 Nebraska in the Big 12 Conference championship on Saturday. Arkansas (7-4) already appeared headed to the Cotton Bowl by finishing as a runner-up in its Southeastern Conference division.

The Longhorns, who beat Mississippi State 38-11 in the previous Cotton Bowl, will make consecutive appearances for the first time since Royal guided the Longhorns to six straight from 1969 to 1974. Back then, though, SWC teams had to win the conference to spend Jan. 1 in Dallas.

Arkansas' last Cotton Bowl appearance was in 1990, when the Hogs lost 31-27 to Tennessee. They haven't won a bowl game since 1985.

Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt and Longhorns coach Mack Brown understand how important the history of the rivalry and the Cotton Bowl is to their fans. Although their players may not, both coaches expect that to change by New Year's Day.

"I think the media and our fans, for sure, are going to really build this thing up to the way it used to be," Nutt said. "Our players are going to get educated on this thing real quick."

Said Brown: "Houston will have Coach Broyles talk to his team about the rivalry, and I'll have Coach Royal talk to my team. As many wins as they had between them, we could go upstairs and watch those two guys coach. It would be pretty neat."